SAIM713-0212: Introduction to Canine and Feline Reproduction

INSTRUCTOR(S): Cynthia O'Connor, DVM, DACT
Milan Hess, DVM, MS, DACT
Margret Casal, Dr. med. vet., Ph.D. Dipl. ECAR (Reproduction)

COURSE OPEN: February 27-April 26, 2012
REAL TIME SESSIONS (RTS): Mondays, March 5, 12, 19, 26, April 2, 9 and 16; 9:30pm-11:30pm ET (USA)]
Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter

Practice Sessions: In order to prepare you for a successful experience in your CE course, we request you attend a practice session prior to the first Real Time Session. Times and dates will be listed in your course confirmation email. Expect to spend up to 1 hour at one of the 2-4 practice sessions held prior to the first Real Time Session.

Level and Prerequisites: This basic course will be open to veterinarians actively interested in canine and feline reproduction.
VIN CE Course: Open to veterinarians. This course has been submitted for RACE approval for veterinarians only.

Course Description:
This course will be an overview of basic canine/feline reproduction, pregnancy diagnosis, and whelping/queening.

The course consists of seven (7) 2 hour Real Time Sessions with supplemental library materials, interactive message board discussions, and a mandatory end-of-course test. Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course.

Upon completion of this course, the participant should be able to

• understand normal reproductive physiology in the dog and cat.
• use the information acquired for the efficient management of breeding with natural mating and artificial insemination.
• properly collect and interpret clinical and laboratory information for the diagnosis and management of fertility disorders as well for the consultation of breeding management cases.
• collect and interpret vaginal cytology.
• diagnose and understand management options of common reproductive abnormalities.
• plan and conduct pregnancy evaluation, including advantages and limitations of the techniques available for pregnancy diagnosis, and evaluation of the fetal well-being.
• monitor the pregnant bitch/queen until parturition, management of dystocia, and identification and treatment of more common post-partum disorders.

Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.
Required textbook(s): There is no required textbook for this course.

Recommended textbook(s):

• Clinical Canine and Feline Reproduction: Evidence-Based Answers, Margaret V. Root Kustritz, Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.
  ISBN-13: 978-0813815848

• Canine and feline endocrinology and reproduction, Edward C. Feldman, Richard William Nelson, W.B. Saunders, 2004.
  ISBN-13: 978-0-7216-9315-6

• BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Reproduction and Neonatology, Gary England, Angelika von Heimendahl, John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
  ISBN-13: 978-1905319190

• Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 7th edition.. Ettinger S. J. and Feldman E. C., Saunders, 2010.
  ISBN-13: 978-1416065937

The following textbooks are recommended but currently out of print:

• Canine and Feline Theriogenology, Johnston SD, Root Kustriz MV and Olson PN, WB Saunders Co., Philadelphia PA (2001).
  ISBN-13: 978-0721656076

• Small animal theriogenology for the practical veterinarian, Margaret V. Root Kustritz, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2003.
  ISBN-13: 978-0750674089

About the Instructors:
Dr. O'Connor obtained her BS in Animal Science from the University of New Hampshire. She is a graduate of the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison. She completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center in NY. After her internship, she worked in private practice in MA as an emergency clinician and general practitioner from 2004-2008. Her professional interest in veterinary reproduction lead her to pursue specialty training in the area of veterinary medical genetics, pediatrics, and reproduction at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine from 2008-2010. She became a board certified specialist in veterinary reproduction as a member of the American College of Theriogenology in 2010. Dr. O'Connor is part of the small animal theriogenology staff at Slade Veterinary Hospital in Framingham, MA, where her professional interests include assisted reproductive therapies, reproductive ultrasonography, neonatology, pediatrics, and genetic counseling. She lectures on these topics at both nationally and internationally. In addition to her professional interests, Dr. O'Connor has been breeding and competing with her Portuguese water dogs for over 20 years.

Dr. Hess attended Colorado State University for both undergraduate and veterinary school. She then completed an internship in small animal medicine, surgery and critical care at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver. From there she moved to Virginia for a three year residency in theriogenology (reproduction) at Virginia Tech. She moved back to Colorado in June of 2002 and joined Colorado Veterinary Specialists as a small animal reproductive specialist. Dr. Hess is an active competitor with her curly-coated retrievers and Papillon in multiple dog sports including conformation, agility, hunt tests, tracking, and obedience.

Dr. Casal graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Z�rich in Switzerland and obtained her Master's equivalent from the University of Bern, Switzerland in the field of virology. After having spent 4 years in small animal reproduction at the University of Z�rich, her special interest in veterinary pediatrics and genetics brought her to the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, where she completed a residency in veterinary medical genetics, pediatrics, and reproduction. She remained at the University of Pennsylvania to complete a PhD program in the field of pathology of genetic disease and gene therapy as a novel therapeutic option. During this time she also became board certified through the European College of Animal Reproduction. Since completing her graduate studies, she has remained at the University of Pennsylvania as a faculty member and is currently associate professor of medical genetics, reproduction and pediatrics. Dr. Casal has a special spot in her heart for cats of all sizes and ages but has a special clinical interest in pediatric kittens.

Course Outline:
Week 1 (Real Time Session March 5): Physiology/Fundamentals of the cycle of the Bitch
Content:

• Normal physiology of the estrous cycle
• Selection of breeding animals/genetic counseling
• Infectious disease screening.

Week 2 (Real Time Session MARCH 12): Breeding Management Plan
Content:

• Ovulation timing
• Techniques for semen collection and processing -fresh, cooled, and frozen
• Techniques for insemination

Week 3 (Real Time Session March 19): Pregnancy and Whelping
Content:

• Pregnancy Diagnosis
• Pregnancy management
• Problems/Emergencies during pregnancy, whelping, and postpartum in the bitch including pregnancy ketosis, dystocia, and post-partum metritis

Week 4 (Real Time Session March 26): Disorders and Diseases of the Female Reproductive Tract
Content:

• Disorders of sexual differentiation
• Irregular estrous cycling including failure to cycle
• Ovarian disorders incuding neoplasia and cystic ovarian disease
• Uterine disorders including cystic endometrial hyperplasia/ pyometra and neoplasia
• Vaginal disorders including vaginal strictures, vaginal hyperplasia/hypertrophy, vaginitis, and neoplasia
• Mammary disorders including mastitis and neoplasia

Week 5 (Real Time Session April 2): Additional Considerations Regarding Reproduction in the Bitch
Content:

• Estrus induction
• Estrus prevention
• Mismating/Pregnancy termination
• Ovarian remnant syndrome
• Pseudopregnancy

Week 6 (Real Time Session April 9): Disorders and Diseases of the Male Reproductive Tract
Content:

• Disorders of sexual differentiation
• Prostatic disease including benign prostatic hypertrophy, prostatitis, abscess, and neoplasia
• Testicular and epididymal disease including neoplasia, cryptorchidism, trauma, and infectious disease
• Penile disease including balanoposthitis, trauma, phimosis, paraphimosis, and priapism

Week 7 (Real Time Session April 16): Physiology/Fundamentals of Feline Reproduction
Content:

• Normal male and female feline reproductive physiology
• Breeding management of queens and toms
• Assisted reproductive options in the feline
• Common reproductive anomalies in the feline including ovarian remnant syndrome, mammary hyperplasia, mammary neoplasia, dystocia, and pyometra

CE CREDITS: 14
Tuition: Member $280 ($252 early bird special if enrolled by February 13, 2012).
Non-Member $408 ($367 early bird special if enrolled by February 13, 2012).

*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close when the maximum number of participants is reached or at 5pm ET the day of the first Real Time Session unless otherwise noted. If the first Real Time Session is on a weekend, course enrollment will close on the Friday before the first Real Time Session.

*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

TO ENROLL:

1. Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member and non-member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
3. Each person is individually responsible for his/her own registration. To ensure that all information received is secure and correct, please do not enroll for a course on behalf of another individual.
4. For further assistance call 1-800-700-INFO (4636) or email (VIN CE) CEonVIN@vin.com or (VSPN CE) VSPNCE@vspn.org. Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.

*Note: "This course is submitted for approval for 14 continuing education credits in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE approval; however participants should be aware that some boards have limitations on the number of hours accepted in certain categories and/or restrictions on certain methods of delivery of continuing education." Call VSPN/VIN CE at 1-800-700-4636 for further information. (Attendees are encouraged to check with their licensing jurisdiction(s) for information regarding recognition by their board).

Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to the listed start date of the course. If you wish to withdraw after the start date please contact the VIN/VSPN office 1-800-700-INFO (4636) to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.
* Note: To ensure rapid handling of your request for withdrawal, we recommend that you call the VIN/VSPN office at 1-800-700-INFO (4636).

* For more information on VIN's Upcoming CE Courses check the Course Catalog at https://www.vin.com/CE/Catalog.htm

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Coordinator

VIN CE Services: CEonVIN@vin.com
1-800-846-0028 or 1-530-756-4881 or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01452226154
Andrea Pomposo (Andrea@vin.com); ext 126
Debbie Friedler (Debbie@vin.com); ext 756
Heather Schoffstall (Heather@vin.com); ext 116
Jennifer Boyle (JenniferB@vin.com); ext 169

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